


i kinda think that we won't get better

by Anatui



Category: Digimon - All Media Types, Digimon Adventure Zero Two | Digimon Adventure 02, Digimon Wonderswan Series
Genre: Anal Sex, Angst with a Happy Ending, Blood Loss, Body Horror, Bottom Ichijouji Ken, Cardiophilia, Coming In Pants, Dark Seed | Dark Spore, Dream Sex, Dreams and Nightmares, Dreams vs. Reality, Friends to Lovers, Glow and Radiance, Healing Kiss, Heartbeats, High School, Hurt/Comfort, Ichijouji Ken Has Nightmares, Ichijouji Ken Is a Damsel in Distress, Implied/Referenced Masturbation, Inflation, Intimate Healing, Jogress Bonds, Light and Darkness, Lucid Dreaming, M/M, Mind Manipulation, Motomiya Daisuke | Davis Motomiya Is a Knight in Shining Armor, Motomiya Daisuke | Davis Motomiya Is a Miracle Boy, Mouth-to-Mouth, Mutilation, Psychological Horror, Rape/Non-Con by Outside Force, Red Spider Lily, Sharing a Bed, Top Motomiya Daisuke | Davis Motomiya, Trapped in a Nightmare, Vomiting, Wet Dream, What If Ichijouji Ken Had Never Become a Chosen Child | DigiDestined
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-15
Updated: 2020-10-24
Packaged: 2021-03-08 18:34:56
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 5
Words: 9,745
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27021337
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Anatui/pseuds/Anatui
Summary: You okay?Ken released a soft laugh, relief flooding his body.Naturally, the email was from Daisuke, who could tell something was wrong, even at 3:47 a.m.I had a nightmare,he shot back.Daisuke's response was instantaneous:You wanna talk about it?He hesitated a moment, but he didn't have to think about it long because his phone started to vibrate in his hands, the ringer on silent for the night.ORKen's nightmares take on a physical presence until he's no longer sure what's a dream and what is reality. Obviously, Daisuke is there to save him.(All aspects of non-con and violence are literally inside Ken's head)
Relationships: Ichijouji Ken/Motomiya Daisuke | Davis Motomiya
Comments: 40
Kudos: 36
Collections: Ana Writes Semi-Angsty Porn 2020, Ana's 2020 Writing Challenge, Bad Things Happen Bingo, Daiken Discord Server





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> The title for this fic comes from the song ["After Midnight" by blink-182](https://youtu.be/H86730HjLVA).

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh look.....Ken gets damseled again. He's just so damn good at it.
> 
> I don't know long this fic will be, but I imagine it will be at least two more parts, probably three. We'll see. This is sort of weird and fucked up, and I'm not sure how graphic the violence aspect is, so I'm being on the safe side with the warnings. The tags will definitely be updated as more chapters are posted.
> 
> This chapter was written for the [Bad Things Happen Bingo on Tumblr](https://badthingshappenbingo.tumblr.com/) for the prompt: Hurts to Breathe

The darkness pulsed, twisting and curling around his body, suffocating him, until it wasn't just around him. It nudged him, tasted him, pounded against his skin until it was digging into him, until it penetrated his every orifice and all thoughts of breathing left him.

His lungs burned in want of oxygen, but he felt shamefully swollen, like there was something dangerous coiling inside his belly.

Something trying to reawaken the dormant Dark Seed.

It pumped into him and pumped into him until he was so achingly bloated he didn't think his body could hold any more, until he was sure his distended abdomen would burst, until the pain and the lack of oxygen made him lightheaded and nauseous.

Tears streamed down his cheeks, but he couldn't even gasp for breath around the powerful darkness coursing through his body. It was somewhere between ethereal and corporeal, but it rendered him faint and exposed before he could even consider how to defend himself, before he could cry for help.

Ken's eyes flashed open, and he gasped for breath.

That was the sixth nightmare he'd had this week, and all of them were exactly the same. It was the same pulsing darkness, overpowering him and rendering any attempts to fight completely useless.

How could you fight something you couldn't even touch?

Yet, somehow, it could always touch him. It could bury itself under his skin, burrow into every recess of his body, and further taint his core.

His body was sticky with sweat, but that wasn't all.

He peeked inside his pajama pants, using the gentle glow of his nightlight to see inside.

The viscous substance staining his underwear and making it cling to his body like glue was more than enough reason to feel dirty in his own skin, to hate the way his body reacted to the ominous nightmares.

With a sigh, he pushed his pajama bottoms and underwear down his legs and used the dirty underwear to wipe away at the remnants attached to his own skin.

"Ken-chan?"

The messy underwear fell from his fingers to the sheets.

He glanced toward his sweet caterpillar Digimon's concerned face, softly illuminated in the night, and tried to smile. "I'm okay," he insisted, even as the words came out breathless. "Just a nightmare."

Wormmon cocked his head. "But you normally only do that when you're thinking about Daisuke, not when you have a nightmare…?"

Ken paled, then immediately flushed.

"Was your nightmare about Daisuke?" the Digimon asked, curiosity seeping into every word. "Is that why you're all sticky like my thread?"

Fuck.

How the hell was he supposed to answer that?

He was saved from having to when his phone lit up not far away, and breaking eye contact with his innocently curious Digimon, he stretched backward to reach it.

_You okay?_

Ken released a soft laugh, relief flooding his body.

Naturally, the email was from Daisuke, who could tell something was wrong, even at 3:47 a.m.

 _I had a nightmare,_ he shot back.

Daisuke's response was instantaneous: _You wanna talk about it?_

He hesitated a moment, but he didn't have to think about it long because his phone started to vibrate in his hands, the ringer on silent for the night.

"Hey," he answered, keeping his voice low.

On the other end, Daisuke's greeting was nearly incomprehensible through a loud yawn, and Ken found himself smiling despite the way his body still felt sticky and gross and uncomfortably full.

"I'm all right now," he said, the words gentle, trying to be reassuring. "Wormmon is here with me."

Daisuke hummed before saying, "Maybe I was a little worried too."

Heat rose to his cheeks, and he tried not to smile too big, even though Daisuke couldn't see his face all the way from Odaiba. "You were?"

His best friend scoffed. "Of course I was."

"Oh…"

Ken tried not to let that go to his head, tried not to think about Daisuke waking up in the middle of the night purely because he could feel something was off, something was wrong, but Daisuke definitely wouldn't have been awake otherwise. He could sleep through almost anything, but apparently not Ken's nightmares.

"That's nice," he added.

"So?" Daisuke paused, but he'd never had much patience. "What was it about?"

Suddenly, Ken was reminded of the sticky liquid inside his underwear and the remnants drying on his skin and felt himself flush in embarrassment. "It wasn't a big deal. I have nightmares all the time."

"This one was different."

Trust Daisuke to be blunt.

And to know when he was lying.

"Yes," he admitted quietly.

Daisuke didn't speak. He just waited—if Daisuke could be patient for anyone, it was always Ken—and stifled another yawn.

"I was…I don't really know how to describe it. There was darkness, and it was…" He bit his lip, trying not to think too much about the symbolism of his dream. "It was inside me."

"Hmm." The word came out like a shrug. "We all have darkness inside us, Ken, you know that."

"This was different," he murmured into the phone. "It wasn't my inner darkness. It was something else, something evil, and it was trying to get _inside me_."

That, at least, made Daisuke pause.

After a moment, Daisuke whispered, "Do you want me to come?"

Ken bit his lip, uncertain and probably a little unwilling.

But Daisuke didn't need to hear the words. He already knew.

"I'll be right there." And he hung up before Ken could even register what he said.

He gasped when the realization hit him.

Daisuke would be here any moment, and he was naked from the waist down, his underwear and pajama bottoms soiled, and trapped on his loft bed with only his overly curious and naive Digimon as company.

All too quickly, Daisuke and V-mon burst from his computer screen, falling in a heap to the floor, and Ken grasped the sheets and pulled them up high to cover everything he could manage. Eager, Daisuke stumbled to his feet and bolted up the ladder, V-mon at his heels.

Ken swallowed as Daisuke settled in the space between him and the wall, lying right on top of where he'd abandoned his dirty underwear.

They were far too close together, and Ken tried not to breathe, tried not to tremble when Daisuke lifted the covers to slide underneath, his cheeks full and puffing out from the wide grin covering his lovely golden face.

"H-hey," Ken said, voice shaking.

Daisuke's arms slipped around his shoulders and pulled him close, burying Ken's face in his collarbone, barely exposed by his pajama top. "Tell me about it," he whispered, the words ghosting over the shell of Ken's ear.

He shivered, but that just made Daisuke hold him tighter. "I, um…I don't really know how to describe it." He took a deep breath, trying to focus on talking about the nightmare and not the fact that he was naked from the waist down and Daisuke had them pressed so close together. "I can still feel it. Like there's something inside me that's trying to…become a part of me?" He chewed his lip, forcing out the words even if they didn't sound quite right. "But it's also like it's trying to get out. I feel…"

Too often, he felt empty, hollow, like there was still so much work to be done—on himself.

But that feeling was gone now.

Now, it was like every crease and crevice had been filled with that strange pulsing darkness, like it was seeping into his pores and soaking every nook and cranny, like it was overpowering every part of him slowly enough it didn't think he would notice.

Or maybe it knew he noticed, knew that he was fully aware, but it didn't care because there was nothing he could do to stop it.

Instead of hollow, he was brimming with that strange darkness, his senses overwhelmed and hazy.

Daisuke held him closer, clinging to him protectively. "It was just a dream, though, right?"

"I…I think so."

He sighed. "Of course it was." He pressed his cheek to Ken's temple and nudged him. "But you have nothing to worry about. I'm here now, and I'll make sure you're safe."

Ken couldn't hold back the smile at that. "Thank you for coming."

"Try to get some more sleep, okay?"

He nodded, his nose grazing Daisuke's collarbone, and took a deep breath of Daisuke's scent, desperately trying to ignore his awkward predicament and the strange fullness in his body in favor of falling back to sleep.

It happened sooner than he expected.

The moment his eyes fell shut and he let himself relax in Daisuke's embrace, he was back inside that nothingness.

His body pulsed with the darkness, to the same broken rhythm, and with each beat, it sunk deeper inside him, pushed in and in and in until he couldn't breathe all over again.

He panted, gasped, tried to gather oxygen in his lungs, but all he could feel, all he could touch and taste and breathe, was the same darkness that pooled inside him. His eyes rolled back and his lids fell shut, and he convulsed.

In the darkness, he couldn't see it, but it felt like every part of him burgeoned and swelled until the untouchable darkness finally reached what it wanted.

The back of his neck burned.

Tears stung his eyes, his lungs seethed, pain seared his throat, and there was a flaring ache between his legs that only made him shake harder with silent sobs. The strange mixture of sudden euphoria and unequivocal pain told him there would be an embarrassing explanation in his future when he woke up.

If he woke up.

The very fact that he knew he was dreaming, that he couldn't wake himself, even with his own orgasm, was more concerning than the nightmare itself.

Until the cold fire in his neck pressed against the place where the Dark Seed remained, and a sharp pain—like he was being stabbed with a rod of ice, like something was digging into his neck to drag it out—made it impossible to think.

It took a moment to realize something—no, someone— _was_ digging into his neck.

_Give it to me. I know you won't mind the loss._

Long, sharp claws scraped and dug into the base of his neck, and the cold of the Dark Seed coiled, then stretched, trying to reach out in turn.

Ken's eyes clenched shut, and he sobbed, tried to say Daisuke's name through the dark coating his throat and filling his lungs, but the word didn't come. It wouldn't come. He needed Daisuke, but he couldn't even ask for his help.

Laughter shook his body from behind, and a claw traced down his side, sending him trembling and convulsing all over again.

 _Your little boyfriend can't help you here._ The deep voice hummed. _But perhaps thinking about him will make this easier. We need to make more room, after all._

The darkness poured into him, squeezed him and twisted and coiled around him until he was shuddering, whimpering through the pain, trying to ignore the intoxicating throb as the strange darkness claimed control of his body once again.

"Daisuke…"

The word barely counted as a sound.

Sharp claws penetrated deeper into his neck, shredding through everything in the way, desperately seeking the Seed buried inside.

_Then again, perhaps this would be easier if you understood your place…_

He wanted to ask what the hell that meant, to demand the clawed monster reveal himself, to find some comfort in knowing the source of these strange nightmares. He wanted to turn to look at him, to look upon the monstrosity with his own eyes, to face his demons head on.

Then, he was awake.

It was morning, the sun shining through the crack in the blinds below his loft bed, and he was completely alone and covered in his own come. Daisuke and V-mon had disappeared sometime during the night, which didn't sit right, but far more concerning, Wormmon was gone too.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And now for something completely different...

His D-3 was missing.

He couldn't bring up a Digital Gate on his computer.

Without Wormmon, without his Digivice, without even a gate to reach the Digital World, he was at a complete loss.

Ken cleaned himself up and dressed in a hurry, ignoring the residual pain in the back of his neck. He needed to talk to Miyako and Koushiro and figure out what the hell was going on, but most of all, he needed to find Daisuke, to know why he left without a word.

The strange quiet in the apartment made him stumble to a stop before he made it halfway to the front door.

He took a long look around the space, examining the living room and dining table before finally peeking into the kitchen, where his mother was pouring herself a glass of water.

Ken bit his lip. "Mama?"

She glanced over, and a small smile spread across her lips. "Ken-chan." Then, she hesitated. "I'm going to visit Osamu-chan. Will you come?"

He opened his mouth, uncertain—his mother visited his brother's grave, yes, but not on such short notice—and said, "I'm sorry, I didn't realize you were going today. I promised my friend I would meet with him."

His mother tilted her head to the side, brow furrowing, but she said, "All right. Be home before dinner, okay?"

Ken nodded and stepped closer to press a kiss to her cheek. "I will, Mama."

He didn't miss the way she stiffened instead of responding to the open display of affection, but he didn't have time to focus on that.

In the genkan, he slipped on his shoes and out the door, then bolted to the station.

The train ride to Odaiba took too long—longer than it had ever taken—and his neck itched, but there was nothing there when he ran his fingers over the smooth skin. It was all in his head—just part of the nightmare still plaguing him in his waking life.

Ken dove off the train at the station next to Seaside Park and rushed to the apartment complex right in view.

He stumbled to a stop before he reached the building entrance.

Daisuke was walking under the green and orange striped arches, a soccer ball tucked under one arm, scurrying after Taichi and Sora and a few other boys he didn't recognize, all covered in sweat and grass stains as they returned from the nearby park.

His breath caught in his throat, and his face broke into a smile the moment Daisuke's warm brown eyes found him—then looked away.

Ken's smile fell away.

Daisuke, Taichi, and Sora laughed as they parted from the group and made their way into the largest apartment building. They laughed as they left him behind.

All Ken could do was follow.

And try to ignore the empty feeling in his chest.

He was slow, but Daisuke still held the elevator door for him, even grinned when he crossed the threshold and paused right there in front of him.

"Daisuke…"

As the door closed, Daisuke cocked his head, confusion and curiosity etched in his brow, but he was interrupted before he could even speak when a snap of fabric caught him in the back. He turned sharply, face contorting into a snarl.

That, at least, eased the discomfort in Ken's chest.

No matter what was going on, Daisuke was still the same Daisuke. Still ridiculous, over-the-top, and completely insane. Still the brightest spot in Ken's life.

But Daisuke's overreaction dissipated when he caught sight of Taichi, snickering in the back of the elevator car, his shirt now slung over his shoulder, and a deep pink blush spread across Daisuke's cheeks as his eyes took in the expanse of Taichi's sun-darkened skin. He chewed his bottom lip and took shallow breaths—

And Ken's heart stopped.

The elevator came to a stop.

Sora snickered when the door opened and no one got off. "Daisuke-kun, this is your floor…"

He shook his head. "Oh, right. Of course!" He twisted and turned, eyes glossing over Ken in the corner, but he paused when Taichi stepped closer and snagged the shoulder of his T-shirt.

"Come up after Sora heads home," Taichi whispered in his ear—though Ken was uncomfortably close enough to hear every word. "You can help take the rest off too…"

Daisuke's blush darkened, and he stuttered out a goodbye before finally slipping from the elevator.

The door closed behind him, and Taichi settled against the back wall beside Sora as the car started moving again. They started talking quietly, but Ken couldn't hear anything even if he'd wanted to, even if he'd strained to hear them.

He'd stopped processing them.

His chest ached, empty in a way he'd never felt before. His neck was unbelievably irritated, and scratching it only seemed to make it itch more.

Taichi and Sora got off on the thirteenth floor, and finally able to breathe in the empty elevator, Ken twisted to strike the button to take him back down to the tenth floor.

Back to Daisuke.

He didn't know what to expect when he knocked on the Motomiyas' door, but Daisuke answered in just his soccer shorts, sweat glistening over his bare chest, and frowned at him. "Hey…from the elevator?" He paused, then added, "Do I know you?"

There it was.

The confirmation.

Daisuke had no idea who he was.

"You know," he said, "you do look pretty familiar." He scratched the back of his neck, a cute little pout scrunching his mouth and brow as he thought, then finally turned back, his eyes lighting up. "You're an alternate on the Tamachi soccer team! Ichijouji, right?"

Confused and completely overwhelmed, Ken could only nod.

He hadn't been an alternate on the soccer team since the beginning of fourth grade, not even after he'd scaled back in sixth grade, but if Daisuke recognized him, that was at least a start.

"Daisuke…?" Ken wetted his lips. "Can I talk to you? It's important."

He shrugged and opened the door the rest of the way. "Yeah, sure. I'm the only one here anyway."

Ken followed him down the hallway as Daisuke pointed out the bathroom and kitchen and everything as if he hadn't been there hundreds of times since they were eleven years old, as if he weren't intimately familiar with the organization and dynamics of the Motomiyas.

Daisuke dropped back onto his mattress and scraped his hair out of his eyes with a deep sigh. "Have a seat," he said, nodding to the open space next to him.

Worrying his lip, Ken sat down on the edge of the bed.

"What's so important?" He glanced over, his warm brown eyes studying him.

Ken clasped his fingers over his lap and turned to face him. "Do you…? Do you have your Digivice, your D-3?"

Daisuke cocked his head. "What's a D-3?"

He crumpled in on himself. "And V-mon?"

Frowning, Daisuke pushed up to sit beside him. "You're really weird, Ichijouji."

But Ken couldn't focus on anything but the painful realization.

He hadn't been able to find his own D-3, couldn't find Wormmon, couldn't access the Digital Gate on his computer. And if he hadn't gone to the Digital World, he hadn't become the Kaiser, which meant Daisuke and Miyako and Iori hadn't been called to the Digital World.

Wormmon, V-mon, Hawkmon, Armadimon…they were just gone. They—did they even _exist_?

He felt sick and hollow, completely empty inside, and none of this…

None of this made sense.

"Hey," Daisuke said, leaning close to catch his attention. "What's wrong? I didn't mean to upset you or anything."

Ken blinked, letting the tears fall, and shifted closer. "Can I…?" He stretched out toward him, holding his hand a few centimeters from his chest.

Daisuke pursed his lips in confusion but nodded.

With a shaky breath, Ken closed the distance, laying his palm flat against Daisuke's chest, desperately seeking out the steady beat inside his chest, praying it was still synchronized with his.

Inside his chest, Daisuke's heartbeat was strong and steady, though a little fast, and Ken let his eyes fall shut in concentration, hoping it would even out to match his.

The bed shifted, and rough fingers wiped the tears from his cheeks.

"It's okay," he murmured, voice closer than before.

Ken's eyes fluttered open to meet Daisuke's big chocolate orbs, and he tried not to focus on the way Daisuke's face was pushed up into his personal space. "Dai…Daisuke?" His fingers clenched, nails scraping over the hot skin.

He exhaled slowly, trying to steady his own heartbeat, and his eyes fell shut. He trembled, his body quivering in anticipation, even as the tears streamed down his cheeks.

When hot lips pressed against his, he gasped, and Daisuke pushed closer, twisting and opening up to lick his way into Ken's mouth, deepening the kiss until Ken was weak at the knees, endlessly grateful he was already seated.

He clung to Daisuke, grasping at his chest and shoulder for purchase, and calloused fingers—well-known but not _there_ —threaded through his hair, grabbed his shoulder, wrapped around his neck. A long moan rumbled in his throat, and Daisuke pulled him closer and closer until he was practically in his lap.

Pain seared his neck, breaking him down and digging into him until he couldn't feel anything but the claws tearing him open.

He was flat on the mattress, his shirt discarded on the floor, and Daisuke's hot tongue circled his nipple and those fingers yanked at the button on his pants, trying to reach more, more, more. His fingers grasped at messy cinnamon hair, and his body quaked and shivered when Daisuke slid his hand underneath.

The tears flowed freely now, sobs racking his body with every sharp penetration.

He tried to focus on Daisuke, Daisuke, Daisuke—he'd wanted to be with him like this for so long, to kiss him and hold him and touch him—but he could feel it building up again, could feel the darkness swelling and swallowing him until there was nothing but the aching throb in his neck, that eerie pulse spreading throughout his body.

They were naked, faster than he'd expected, and Daisuke didn't hesitate to touch him, to kiss parts of him no one had ever seen before.

Could they have been doing this the whole time? Was it really this simple? Was he really so stupid he never noticed?

All too quickly, he was stretched and spread open, and as Daisuke slid inside him, the darkness pounded into him, driving deeper and deeper, pushing then slamming into his aching neck. The pain surged, the Dark Seed soaking up the dark and growing outward, reaching for the clawed hand still cutting into him.

_Let it go!_

The claws were excruciating, the way they carved into him and grabbed hold and pulled, and he was sobbing and coming and shrieking and numb, unable to feel, unable to touch, unable to _stop_ feeling.

Daisuke collapsed onto the mattress beside him, panting.

His body tingled with the numbness, his heart ached with the uncomfortable emptiness, and he heaved, trying to connect things in his head, to hook together the pieces into something that made sense.

"Ichi—" Daisuke cleared his throat, his words ragged. "Ichijouji, why are you crying?"

That hardly helped the flow.

Daisuke—this Daisuke—didn't know him. They weren't friends or partners, hadn't even been Chosen. They were nothing to each other, but Daisuke was the same as he always was, completely unchanged by their separation.

One glance around the darkened room made Ken's heart stop.

Where he'd expected to be covered in a sticky mess, sweat and tears and come, deep red flower petals were scattered across his abdomen and the sheets beneath him, fluttering from Daisuke's heavy breaths.

"Ichijouji? What's wrong?"

This Daisuke didn't call him by his given name. He didn't even know it.

And their hearts…

Their hearts had never synchronized.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> GUYS, I AM LITERALLY SCREAMING ABOUT [THIS FUCKING GORGEOUS ARTWORK](https://twitter.com/fawnmons/status/1318836360707530752?s=20) FAWN DID OF THE END OF THIS CHAPTER. I AM DYINGASLDALDGJKLASDJKLGJKLASGJKL  
> (Warning for partial nudity and blood)


	3. Chapter 3

The room was still dark when Daisuke opened his eyes, but he was instantly awake and couldn't shake the feeling that something had gone very wrong.

Ken was still in the bed next to him, beads of sweat gathering along his hairline, his normally soft locks stringy and sticking to his cheek.

The Digimon were curled up around them, but Wormmon whimpered and quivered in his sleep, leaning in toward V-mon, his little legs jerking. If anyone else could sense the eerie quiet in the room, could feel the _wrongness_ , it would be Wormmon.

Daisuke scooted closer, nudged at the pajama-clad shoulder next to him. "Ken? Hey, Ken…"

He didn't even twitch.

With a frown, Daisuke leaned against his side and pressed two fingers to his pulse point, feeling the heavy beat of blood pumping way too fast through his veins. His breath was shallow and ragged, and Daisuke glared down at the vigorous rise and fall of his chest in the dark room.

"Ken," he said again, his voice louder, commanding, but it didn't make a difference.

He shook Ken's shoulder. Harder, this time. Shook him till any sane person would've woken up. Shook him till the Digimon did wake up.

Wormmon was trembling when he spoke. "Ken-chan? What's going on with Ken-chan? Is he having another nightmare?"

V-mon blinked his eyes open and laid a hand on Wormmon's back for comfort, but the caterpillar Digimon could not be consoled.

Daisuke couldn't blame him.

"Come on, Ken," he snapped, yanking back the blankets and—

Daisuke choked on air.

What the fuck?

It was dark, thank god, but Daisuke still got a pretty good view of where the pajama shirt had ridden up. Everything from Ken's belly button was bare, completely naked, and if his eyes weren't deceiving him, a particular part of him looked painfully hard.

That was…

Something to file away for later.

Not right now.

Because right now, Ken was definitely having another nightmare and he wasn't waking up. And how the fuck was Daisuke supposed to help if he couldn't break him free of his nightmares in the first place? How was he supposed to take care of him? How was he supposed to protect him?

Wormmon finally gathered himself together enough to cover up his partner with the sheets again. "You shouldn't look at Ken-chan like that. Not when he can't look at you too."

Oh boy did he not have time to dissect _that_ right now.

"Right." He cleared his throat. "We need to wake him up. He's having another nightmare."

"You could slap him again," V-mon said, smiling helpfully.

Daisuke frowned down at Ken's furrowed brow, glistening with sweat in the nightlight's glow. "Would that reach him?" He laid a hand to his forehead, smoothing out the creases with gentle strokes, and sighed. "He's really deep in there. We're not—his heart is too fast…"

And as fast as Daisuke's own heart was beating, the worry and the fear seeping into his pores, they weren't in sync.

That only scared him more.

"I don't know how I'm supposed to…get in there," he murmured, tucking a few strands of hair behind Ken's ear. His thumb traced along his temple, wiping away the sweat, and his hand trailed down to rest over Ken's rapidly beating heart.

Wormmon shifted closer and leaned his head against Daisuke's forearm, the one pressing down on Ken's chest. "If anyone can reach him, Daisuke, it's you. You've always been able to help him, even when I can't."

Daisuke pursed his lips at the sadness lacing the Digimon's voice and leaned down to nudge the caterpillar with his cheek. "Wormmon, you know how much he needs you. No one has ever done as much for Ken as you have."

The Digimon looked up at him with grateful eyes. "But you're the one who saves Ken-chan." He nuzzled Daisuke's arm again. "So save Ken-chan."

His eyes searched Ken's trembling form, somehow simultaneously completely still and gasping for air he couldn't seem to find.

"But _how_?" He dropped his head onto his hand above Ken's heart and groaned into the soft pajama top. "How the fuck am I supposed to save him when he's so far away? This is different than before—I can't just yell at him and make him listen to me if he can't even hear me."

"Maybe he can hear us," V-mon said, pushing closer with a furrowed brow. "He's still in there, right?"

Daisuke pushed up to look at Ken's flushed face again, chewing his lip.

V-mon had a point.

Couldn't people in comas hear when people spoke to them? Maybe Ken could too…

He set his other hand atop his chest, trying to reach the heart inside, willing the organ to sync with his own pulse, and leaned down to whisper in his ear. "I don't care how far away you are or how deep you've gone, you can't get rid of me that easily. I'm coming for you, Ken. I'm going to save you, I swear it."

*

The roots held on like leeches, hooking into him and holding tight as the claws pulled and yanked and wrenched at the Seed embedded inside him.

Ken screamed.

He tried to pull away, but the darkness held him in place, kept him immobile as the claws sank into his neck and ripped at the Seed. It reached out in turn, growing toward the hand trying to take it away, but it wouldn't let him go, wouldn't leave Ken alone.

 _Let it go,_ the deep voice snarled, pushing close to his ear.

A hand grabbed hold of his shoulder, the claws digging into his flesh till they pierced through, rage seeping into him through their deep red tips.

Ken whimpered and dropped his head forward, let his eyes slide shut.

_It was never meant for you. Give it to me!_

A shriek fell from his lips at the next attempted extraction, at the next excruciating yank, and if the tendrils of darkness hadn't pooled inside him, hadn't filled him up and taken control, he would've fallen to his knees.

 _Our Nefarious Leader never wanted you. He loathes you, despises you, but you just_ had _to get in the way—like the insect you are._

The pain wrenched a sob from Ken's lips, wet with tears, the tang of blood on his tongue.

 _He used you. He had no other option, so he used you. But you cheated him yet again. You failed him._ The monster growled in his ear, dangerously low, uncomfortably close.

Ken wanted to yell, to scream, to cry out that he was _glad_ he was a failure.

He was glad he'd overpowered the Dark Seed, glad Magnamon had defeated the monstrosity he'd created, glad Daisuke and the others had broken him down and shattered his world, glad they had helped him build his life back up into something tangible.

But the darkness was choking him, coiling down his throat, filling him up from the inside, burrowing into him and burying the darkness in his core.

Slick fingers slid inside his entrance, buried deep inside him, and he gasped, struggling to do anything but heave and cry and pant as everything pulsed through him at once, the pleasure of Daisuke's fingers merging with the sharp claws in the back of his neck.

His hot mouth latched onto the crook of his neck, nipped and sucked at the tender flesh till he was trembling and unable to do anything but sob and moan Daisuke's name.

_He needed you to revive himself, but you failed._

Ken whimpered and rocked against Daisuke's fingers, clutched at his chest, trying to find his heart, trying to breach the barrier between them, desperate to hold on and cling to him till they were one again, till they merged and their hearts synchronized again.

A long moan flew from his lips when Daisuke bit down just above the collarbone, and his eyes rolled back, overwhelmed by the pain, by the euphoria of Daisuke touching him.

Daisuke sucked bruises into his throat, marking him with so much fervor Ken could no longer differentiate him from the Daisuke who had grinned at him and called him his partner, who had spoken so earnestly of their unity, who can felt his heartbeat in his own chest, who supported him and cared for him and done everything in his power to befriend him even when Ken didn't want anything to do with him, and Ken couldn't do anything but whimper his name, pant the words he'd wanted to say for so long, cry until all he could feel was the pain.

The clawed hand pulled and pulled, tearing it out of him, and he was so weak the tears wouldn't come anymore. They'd dried up.

_But where you failed, I will not. Where you are weak, I am strong enough to reawaken our Nefarious King._

Daisuke stopped but didn't withdraw.

Ken wasn't coherent enough to properly look at him, to see what was wrong.

"Uh, Ichijouji?" His voice was thick and rough. "What did you say?"

He could only whimper as the Seed clung to him while that hand tried to pull it out, tried to extract from his neck.

_My darkness is already powering the Seed, providing it with enough energy to rebuild our Dark Lord, and your broken body will be the first gift placed upon his sacrificial dais._

Ken heaved and whimpered and moaned, "Inside. Need to keep it inside."

"Did you…did you say you love me?"

He didn't know what he'd said or hadn't said anymore, didn't know what was real and what was in his head or if everything was, and he couldn't, for the life of him, remember anything.

All he could say was, "Seed inside…"

He had to keep the Seed inside, had to keep it safe, no matter what it did, no matter how much it hurt him. He couldn't let it fall into the wrong hands.

"…you want me to come inside you?"

He whined, scraped at everything within reach, tried to drag himself free, but he was tied and bound by the darkness buried inside him, pulsing and pounding through his veins, forcing itself deeper and deeper, feeding the roots and making them grow.

When Daisuke slid inside him, he felt cold.

He was full and empty at the same time. About to burst, but unable to feel the pain or the pleasure, unable to stop feeling the claws merging with his mounting orgasm, unable to do anything but accept the way the dark coiled and burrowed inside him.

_Give it to me. You don't deserve this power…!_

A broken cry flew from his mouth.

He had no idea how long it had been, but Daisuke leaned down, pressed against his temple, groaned as he came, and something inside him _snapped_.

*

A long heavy breath fell from Daisuke's parted lips, and he forced down the tears.

No matter what, he would figure this out. He would drag Ken back from his nightmares if he had to, reach inside and tear apart his monsters.

But all of that meant he had to get there first.

"Daisuke?" V-mon whispered.

He didn't answer.

Instead, he lifted his head just enough to look at Ken's flushed face, to truly examine him up close in a way he'd never had the opportunity to before.

Ken's lips were trembling, damp with saliva, yet utterly perfect.

Daisuke released a soft sigh, then inhaled deep. "Ken…" His eyes fell shut, "I promised I'd protect you, swore you were safe with me here, and I don't break my promises." He licked his lips, focused on Ken's heart thumping under his fingers, tried not to panic. "I'm coming after you," he whispered, then closed the distance to press a soft kiss to Ken's quivering lips.


	4. Chapter 4

Ken's lips responded.

He started to pull back, inhaling sharply, but the slender fingers threading through his hair held him close.

Really, it was the shock that kept him firmly in place.

Ken's grip was weak, but his lips were ravenous.

Daisuke wrapped around him and held him with all the relief and fervor he could muster. He'd wanted to kiss Ken for as long as he could remember, and now that it was finally happening, he needed Ken to understand what it meant to him.

Only, something still wasn't right.

Ken was trembling in his arms, panting and moaning through the kiss, and everywhere Daisuke touched, there was a wide expanse of smooth skin.

His eyes flashed open, and he pulled back, breaking away.

They were in his bedroom at home, sunlight streaming through the windows, and he was seated on the edge of his bed, right between Ken's spread thighs.

And they were both buck naked.

And he was buried inside Ken.

What the…?

How did this happen?

Ken collapsed back onto the mattress, eyes falling shut, chest heaving, abdomen sticky with fresh spend, and Daisuke could only stare.

Stare at the parts of him he'd barely caught a glimpse of in Ken's dark bedroom.

Stare at where they were connected.

He'd only ever imagined what being with Ken would be like, only thought about it and wondered if maybe Ken might…and then he'd second-guessed everything.

But now here they were…

Ken's hair, stringy with sweat and slightly matted on one side, fell like a halo around his head, and Daisuke wanted to run his hands through it, fix the tangles, curl his hands around Ken's dazed face.

Out of breath and trying not to think too hard about why that was, Daisuke withdrew slowly and leaned over him. "K-Ken?"

"Hmm?"

"Ken, what's going on?"

"What?" Slowly, Ken's beautiful blue-violet eyes, pupils blown wide, fluttered open and met his. "What did you call me?"

Daisuke cupped his cheek. "Ken…"

Tears gathered in the corners of Ken's eyes until they pooled over the edges, and he pushed up enough to cover his mouth with a powerful kiss, dragging Daisuke down in the process, flattening their bodies together.

When they finally broke apart, Daisuke moving just a few centimeters away from Ken's bruised lips, it took a moment to get his bearings again.

Daisuke frowned, glancing at his blue sheets before turning his attention back to Ken's entrancing eyes. "What's going on? Why are we here? We were in your room with V-mon and Wormmon and then—" He froze. "Wait, are we inside your dream? But you were having a nightmare, and I couldn't wake you up, and is _this_ your nightmare?"

The question hung in the air for a moment, the silent worrying meaning unspoken, but Ken's tears just continued to fall.

He scraped his fingers through Daisuke's hair, and his face twisted into a wet smile. "You're here. You're actually here." He released a shaky breath. "You came for me."

Daisuke pursed his lips. "Of course I came for you. I'll always come for you."

Ken leaned into the hand at his cheek, let his eyes fall shut again, and his voice was weak when he spoke again. "This time, I think you might be too late."

"What are you talking about?"

But even the urgency in his voice didn't make Ken open his eyes. "Didn't you see all the petals? The blood? The Dark Seed bloomed…"

Daisuke shook his head. "What are you talking about?"

"They're everywhere," Ken murmured, his grip loosening, then his hands dropping back down to the mattress. "I still see them when I close my eyes."

"Ken," Daisuke snapped, cupping his face with both hands.

"Hmm?"

"Hey, I need you to look at me."

It took considerable effort for Ken to meet his eyes, and he still looked dazed, completely out of it, when Daisuke studied his blue-violet orbs.

"Ken, you're really cold," he mumbled, and he dragged the blankets closer to wrap around them, curling up on the bed with Ken in his arms, holding him close in his arms and protecting him.

A deeper part inside Daisuke worried it wouldn't be enough.

Ken burrowed into his side, shivering and whimpering in his arms, uncaring about—or unnoticing of—how messy they were, and tucked his head close, pressing his ear to Daisuke's chest.

"I'm so glad you came for me," he mumbled to Daisuke's heart, letting his quiet words hang in the silent room. "You were here, but it wasn't you. You didn't know me, didn't care about me, didn't even know about the Digital World. I thought I was going crazy…but maybe I am."

Daisuke tucked a few strands of hair behind his ear. "Of course you aren't."

"Then why can I see the Dark Flower, but you can't? Why am I the only one who sees the blood? I can feel him digging for it, trying to reach the Seed, and he says things about it, things I don't understand." He released a shaky breath. "Maybe I should, but I don't, and I can't fight him, I can't hide from him, I can't do anything, I'm trapped…"

Chewing his lip, Daisuke held him tighter. He had no idea who or what Ken was talking about—whatever this strange nightmare had thrown his way—but he said, "No matter what, we'll fight him together."

"How?"

"If there's something you can't do, it's okay," he said, his breath short as determination coursed through his veins. "If you can't hide, if you can't fight, I'll protect you. I'll make sure you're okay. I'll defend you."

Ken barely managed to look up at him, eyes fluttering uncertainly. "And if I can't even breathe?"

Daisuke shrugged, and a wide smile spread across his lips. "I'll breathe for you."

His entrancing eyes glistened with unshed tears, and he sniffled before curling back down to bury his face into Daisuke's chest again. "Your heart…" he murmured. "Our hearts are synchronized again."

"Of course they are," Daisuke declared loudly, but Ken didn't even flinch at the sound.

"They weren't before." He released a soft, breathless laugh. "You always come for me, keep me safe. I'd be lost without you. I love you."

Daisuke inhaled slowly.

His chest ached, and the cool of Ken's face pressed against his heart wasn't helping. Ken being cold, even wrapped up in these blankets and his arms, really wasn't helping.

Actually, he was pretty sure Ken was getting colder.

Too overwhelmed for anything more than stuttered words, Daisuke pulled him tighter, pressed a kiss to the top of his head, and willed Ken's body to accept the warmth and joy and love in his heart.

*

It took too much effort to open his eyes, and when he finally managed, Ken could barely focus on anything. His vision blurred as he tried to orient himself.

All he could see were the blood-red petals fluttering in the air around him.

_The Dark Flower…_

The Seed had bloomed, but it wasn't like when BelialVamdemon had harvested the children in that strange world. It wasn't so clear-cut.

All he could see were those petals everywhere—the Flower was broken and torn—but he could feel his pulse pounding through his veins. Blood was seeping from the wound in his neck, and yet again, when he tried to breathe, he choked and gagged on the darkness filling every crevice of his body.

He was lightheaded, unable to think, unable to move, unable to do anything but wonder where Daisuke's light and warmth had gone.

 _This is your Dark Flower? This puny thing is already falling apart…_ The deep voice penetrated his fog. _What have you done?_

Sharp pain shot through him when those claws thrust into his neck again.

Ken slumped forward.

There was no point in screaming or crying when he knew he wouldn't make a sound, but the tears and the shrieks came anyway, rattling his bones even as no sound fell from his blue lips.

_How is it still inside you? You should be too weak to fight me. How are you keeping it from me?_

But if there was anything Ken was sure of, anything Ken had to do with what time he had left, he knew he had to hold on to the Dark Seed until it was so completely a part of him it was impossible to separate. Its roots had grown exponentially, traversing along his veins, surging and multiplying throughout his entire body now. He had to keep it away from those blood-red claws, away from anyone who would use it for evil.

After a few moments of painful piercing and penetrating and probing, Ken gasped and heaved around the throbbing darkness, tears stinging his eyes.

Then, finally, the claws receded.

 _It doesn't matter._ He had calmed considerably, the red pulse of his hellish rage fading to almost nothing, and his voice had settled to a calculating rumble. _You are never leaving this place, Ichijouji Ken, and I…I have all the time in the world._

Nausea welled in Ken's distended stomach, fluctuated inside him till he was sure he was going to throw up, till he knew he wouldn't be able to hold it back anymore.

_I will cleave it from your mangled corpse if it is what I must do. I will cut into you until there is nothing left for the Seed to attach to._

His eyes fell shut.

He accepted the pain and the sickness and the dark.

There was nothing left for him to do.

But the inside of his eyelids slowly grew lighter, transitioned from the black of night to the soft red that could only mean there was a light nearby. A light he might be able to see if he could just manage to open his eyes again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soooooo. Yeah, there's going to be one more chapter. And some light at the end of the tunnel...


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Got some fun inspiration from _The X-Files_ for this...and now guess what I wanna watch. lol
> 
> This was written for the [Bad Things Happen Bingo on Tumblr](https://badthingshappenbingo.tumblr.com/) for the prompt: Choking

Ken struggled to open his eyes, struggled to focus his vision on the waxing glow as it grew closer and closer, struggled to think long enough to figure out what it was.

All at once, it was obvious.

Where else could that light be coming from but Daisuke? Who else would come for him, protect him, risk everything to save him over and over again?

It was always Daisuke.

*

Ken was in the fetal position, a halo of deep red petals floating around him, dark blood coating the sides of his neck and shoulders.

But Daisuke's heart stopped the moment Ken's eyes fluttered open.

Normally a beautiful blue-violet, those entrancing orbs were now obscured by something darker, something that pulsed and pooled in the whites of his eyes and covered his pupils, and the closer he got, the more Daisuke could see how that darkness shifted and moved under Ken's translucent skin.

The more he saw of Ken, the more he noticed how his body was swollen and bulging. His stomach had ballooned out, his body so bloated his skin no longer clung to his bones like he was starving himself.

As soon as he could reach him, Daisuke pulled Ken into his arms, held him tight to his chest and tried to ignore the thick liquid that coated his hands and wrists. The blood he'd only been able to see at Ken's neck and shoulders had seeped all the way down his back, down, down, down. It was too much blood.

"Ken?" he murmured, voice low. "Ken, you gotta stay with me. We can fix this."

He had no idea how, but he didn't have another option. Ken meant too much to him to lose.

Anxiety bubbling in his stomach, he shifted for a better look at the back of Ken's neck.

Something was protruding there, covered in blood and hard to discern, but it looked like a stem. Ken had said the Dark Seed had bloomed, but aside from the red flower petals around them, he'd yet to see the evidence of that.

So yeah, the tip of a broken flower stem.

That or the wound was so deep he could see bone—and Daisuke didn't want to consider that option.

He pressed his hands to the open wound, desperate to stop the bleeding, and waited for the cries and screams of pain, steeled himself for them.

They didn't come.

Ken's face went white with the pain and tears streaked down his face, but all Daisuke heard was the haunting sound of Ken's vocal chords trying to voice the pain and only able to choke and gag. Something was blocking his throat, keeping him from talking.

"Fuck."

What the hell was he supposed to do?

If Ken was choking on something, choking on the strange darkness he'd spoken of, the darkness Daisuke could see thrumming under Ken's delicate skin and in his eyes, it meant he couldn't breathe either, and if he couldn't breathe, how could he be expected to fight?

Ken released a gurgled whimper, and his eyes fell shut.

No…

But he had to hold true to the promises he'd made, had to do something so they could fight this together like they always did.

And if that meant breathing for Ken, well, that's what he would do.

He lay him flat, held his nose, and tried to breathe a few deep breaths into Ken's lungs, but nothing happened. Something was blocking the way, and the air couldn't reach him.

With a frustrated growl, Daisuke pushed their mouths together and did the only thing he could think of.

Instead of breathing out, he sucked in.

He tried to draw out whatever darkness was pooling inside Ken's body, to suck it out until he was just Ken again.

Then, everything would be okay.

Everything had to be okay.

Daisuke's lungs filled up, expanded with the substance he really didn't want to think about, until he had to pull away. He coughed into his hand, felt the strange blackness ooze over his palm and fingertips, and when it slipped from his grasp, he tried to find any remnants. There were none.

He pressed his lips to Ken's again and inhaled, pulling it out gulp by gulp, dragging the darkness out until Ken shook and coughed and broke away.

Daisuke could only watch as the spluttering wet coughs made Ken's body quiver and convulse, and when that same darkness pooled in his open mouth, he helped shift Ken onto his side so it could spill from pale blue lips.

The more that came out, the better a grip Ken got on himself till he was on his hands and knees, retching, forcing the vile substance from his body.

Daisuke clung to his side, simultaneously relieved and terrified.

The blood, wet and slick in parts, dried and flaking in others, covered his entire back, and there was too much blood still seeping and dripping from the wound to tell how bad it really was.

And with every thick cough, every mouthful of darkness, the blood spilled out more and more.

They had to close the wound, had to fix the injury, had to heal Ken.

Daisuke didn't know what he'd do otherwise. He didn't know what he would possibly do without Ken, and he had no intention of finding out.

Large hands wrapped around his throat and dragged him backward, tearing him away from Ken's side.

 _You're interfering where you don't belong, boy,_ a deep voice snarled in his ear. _Interfering again._

Daisuke knew that voice.

_You were lucky last time, lucky you had your Digimon and that tainted Holy Device, lucky your words were effective then, but you will not be so lucky again. I will not forgive your insolent words so readily as your friends do._

Despite the pain and the fear and the powerful ache that shot through his body, Daisuke's eyes popped open wide.

Ken had talked about the blood-red claws digging for the Dark Seed—the same blood-red claws that were uncomfortably close to piercing his throat—but he hadn't mentioned Demon.

"H-how?" he gasped through the demon lord's grip, and Demon tightened his hold till he choked and flailed, trying to break away.

 _You underestimate the power of darkness._ The voice was closer now, cool and calculating in his ear. _And you underestimate my patience. I have worshiped His Lord Millenniumon for centuries, and I will do everything in my power to bring about his return, no matter the time it takes._

But they had banished Demon into the World of Darkness, to the Dark Ocean. How the hell was he here now? And who the fuck was Millenniumon?

Daisuke's vision blurred and whited out.

 _You will not get in my way again. This is_ my _domain now, and I have no qualms ending you here to take that Seed and ensure my victory._

But wait…

Weren't they inside _Ken's_ dream?

"L-let him go!"

Daisuke blinked and blinked and tried to focus, but he could barely think, let alone see. It took him far too long to register that second voice, hoarse and scratchy, could only belong to Ken.

Ken who moments ago hadn't been able to speak, hadn't been able to even move.

The grip on his neck loosened slightly.

Enough for him to take a gasping breath, even as it burned his throat.

Cold fingers grasped at his arm, tried to pry the hands from around him, but they were too weak to do anything.

Deep, powerful laughter echoed around them.

Daisuke tried to clear his vision, could barely see the shadow covering his face and the pretty blue-violet eyes, narrow with determination and fear, locked with his.

Sharp gasps pounded in his ear, and Ken's voice came out loud and shrill, still adjusting to being able to speak again: "It's not true," he cried. "This place isn't yours—it's _my_ dream, _my_ head, and you only have the power I let you have."

The laughter faded.

"You're still in the Dark Ocean, aren't you? You're here in my head because it's the only way you can reach me, this is the only way you can escape and get the Dark Seed, isn't it?"

There were no hands gripping his throat now, no claws digging into the skin.

"Your glow…" Ken's words were quiet and soft in his ear, and his cold fingers traced his jaw, caressed his cheek. "It was fading away."

Daisuke coughed and squeezed his eyes and tried to get a good look at him, but they still weren't alone.

Ken cupped his cheek. "Do you trust me?" he whispered.

"Always," he croaked.

Soft lips pressed to his, and his eyes fell shut.

His movements were ragged, but he wrapped his arms around Ken's thin frame, pulled him close, and Ken keened at the embrace. They slid their bodies close, entwined their limbs, and Ken tilted his head and deepened the kiss.

Something beyond their embrace lit up through his eyelids, and the golden glow grew and grew, but all Daisuke could focus on was Ken's hands and Ken's lips and Ken's tongue.

He pressed his palm to the back of Ken's neck, still slick with blood, and willed the wound to heal, prayed he would be okay, and the glow was so bright he thought he might be blind, even with his eyes shut.

Ken kissed him till he couldn't think anymore, till he didn't want to think anymore, till the only air he breathed was Ken's air.

Then, just as quickly, they broke apart.

The soft light of morning streamed through the window below, illuminating the bedroom though the bed itself remained in shadow. Ken looked up at him with big beautiful eyes, sparkling in the glow of his nightlight, sparkling with more life than Daisuke had seen last time their eyes had connected.

Daisuke collapsed on the bed next to him, panting to catch his breath, and reached down to lace their fingers together. "You're awake," was all he managed to say.

"I—"

His words were cut off the moment Wormmon flung himself into Ken's arms and burrowed into his embrace. "We were so worried, Ken-chan."

Ken hugged his partner close. "I'm sorry I scared you," he murmured to the sweet caterpillar.

Of course, the moment was ruined when V-mon shouted, "Finally!" and threw himself into the middle of the group, drawing all three of them into a tight hug until they had formed an indecipherable heap of human and Digimon. Daisuke took the opportunity to wrap an arm around Ken's middle and pull him close, the Digimon curled up in their arms.

They lay together for a long time, long enough the room was decidedly brighter when Daisuke blinked his eyes and focused on the room again.

When he glanced at Ken, his eyes were open, slowly searching the bedroom, his mouth twisted in concentration.

"What're you thinking?"

Ken shot him an uncomfortable look, then glanced down before answering. "What's to stop him from coming back?"

Daisuke didn't hesitate before saying, " _You_ are."

He'd never felt so sure of anything before. Ken may have an annoying tendency to sacrifice himself for the "greater good," but he was the strongest person Daisuke knew. He had to be to go through everything he'd experienced.

"Ken, you were the one to get rid of Demon and get us out of there." He found his hand again and squeezed. "You saved us."

"I couldn't have done that without you. I was lost without you." Nervous blue-violet eyes darted toward him, and a soft blush dusted Ken's cheeks. "I always am."

Daisuke pulled him into a slow kiss and rested their foreheads together, keeping him close enough they were breathing each other's air. "I'm lost without you too. You should already know that."

Ken's face had turned a pretty shade of pink when he pulled back, and he couldn't quite meet Daisuke's eyes. "Do you think you could stay for awhile? It's the weekend. We can just stay here in bed…"

They lay together, their Digimon nestled close, and Ken pressed close and listened to the relaxing thrum of Daisuke's heart and the reassurance that they were once again synchronized.

"Sure you don't want to take a bath or something?" Daisuke asked between dropping kisses on his hair. "Or at least…put something on?"

Ken's body tensed in his arms, then slowly relaxed again. "In a little while."

With a relieved sigh, Daisuke nodded in understanding. He wasn't ready to let him go yet either.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> God, this has been an intense ride...


End file.
